Maidstone Borough Council in the UK has partnered with sustainable materials company RECOOL to turn discarded fast-fashion clothing into pothole repair material for resurfacing paths in council-owned parks. The pilot sites are Mote Park and Penenden Heath, both on council-owned land and not involving public roads maintained by Kent County Council.

According to Maidstone Council, 2 potholes were repaired at Mote Park and 3 at Penenden Heath, 5 in total, with contractor Loughman carrying out the work. The material used is a low-carbon experimental product developed by RECOOL: the body of the pothole is filled with recycled textile waste, then covered with a specialist surfacing material. As the body responsible for maintaining parks, open spaces and car parks, the council hopes the trial will show whether the material can be a durable and more sustainable alternative to conventional repair methods.

On the scale of textile waste, the article cites data from UK charity WRAP: the UK generates about 1.45 million tonnes of waste textiles each year, nearly half of which goes into general waste and is not reused or recycled. The project team hopes to put textile waste to new use in repair materials and move infrastructure maintenance towards circularity and sustainability.

Rachel Rodwell, Cabinet Member for Climate Transition and Nature Recovery, said that while second-hand trading platforms have extended the life of many garments, fast fashion still means huge amounts of textiles are thrown away every year; the pilot aims to turn a problem into an opportunity by testing the feasibility of using waste textiles in pothole repair material, thereby cutting waste, reducing carbon emissions and supporting the circular economy.

Clive English, Deputy Leader responsible for Environmental Services and Enforcement, said the council's parks and open spaces welcome millions of visitors each year, and keeping them safe, accessible and well maintained is a top priority; the pilot offers a chance to test the material under real use and UK weather conditions. He added that although potholes on public roads are Kent County Council's responsibility, the council is willing to share the trial's findings with any interested organisation.

Repairs are now complete, and performance will be monitored over the coming months under normal park use and weather conditions; whether the product can be rolled out depends on the trial results. Elise Daly of RECOOL said the company turns mixed textile waste into low-carbon solutions that can replace conventional plastic products, finding new uses for material that might otherwise be discarded, and hopes such innovation will help councils and businesses cut waste and carbon.

Source: From rags to resurfacing · Originally published 2026-09-24